


Animal House

by LaPilar



Series: Long Fics [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: College AU, Crack tbh, F/M, Greek Life, Noncon Themes, Rape, delta tau chi, frats, insp by Animal House (1978), mini series?, no actual but faked and implied, noncon trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-07-01 23:38:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15784485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaPilar/pseuds/LaPilar
Summary: Inspired by the 1978 classic of the same name. James is the womanizing president of the worst frat on campus, Delta Tau Chi, and along with his brothers Steve, Howard, and others, he walks the line of probation with the strict Dean, Johann Schmidt. The dean and his various allies have vowed to get the deltas kicked off by Christmas, but the arrival on campus of James' long-time "girl next door" and Schmidt's daughter shakes things up in ways neither the deltas nor the omegas could've predicted.





	1. Chapter 1

I had just rounded the corner of the third story hallway in Arbor Hall when I ran into him. Quite literally. If he hadn't grabbed my shoulders, I probably would've fallen backwards, which really only would've added to the shitshow that my first day of college had been.

"I'm so..." I began to say.

At the same time, the guy reacted as well, although his words died off as we both looked up at who we'd run into. I frowned for a split second when I realized who it was, but immediately wiped it off my face. A small smirk crossed his, but he let it go as well.

"Well, didn't expect to run into you so soon," James said, leaned against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

"James. How are you?" I asked, trying my hardest to stay cool and collected in the face of my childhood crush and recent bane of my existence.

"Not bad, all things considered. I'm sure you've heard about my deltas. We've hit a bit of a rough patch, but we're getting it straightened out."

I had heard. James was the president of the worst frat on campus, at least according to my father. He was the dean of the school, and had been trying to get the deltas kicked off for years. James being the president this year only added insult to injury, as his family lived right next door to us, and we'd been family friends ever since I could remember.

"I hope you do. That's quite the accomplishment, getting put on probation before the school year's even started," I quipped, smiling up at him. He seemed pretty confident for a guy who could be expelled at any second.

"You know what I always say, go big or go home. You should come see us sometime, get to know the guys. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to meet the daughter of the dean." He smiled at me like a predator.

I scoffed, hoisting my backpack further up my back. "Sure, sounds like a great idea."

He feigned hurt, putting one hand over his heart. "Ouch. It's all in good fun, I promise. Besides, I'll be there." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I rolled my eyes, probably not the response he'd hoped for but it was the one he was getting. "I'm not that hopeless romantic fourteen-year-old anymore, James. You wouldn't know because you've been here all year, but I've grown up."

He made sure I was watching before he looked me up and down, slowly dragging his eyes to my toes and back up again. "You sure have," he concluded, biting his lip as he finally met my eyes again.

I was disgusted, if not a bit turned on, and I only shook my head at him. "For the record, I hope you get your deltas in line. See you around." I hesitated, but then took a step forward and rose onto my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

It was four short days later that I found myself at the door of the Alpha Phi house. It was the best sorority on campus according to everyone I'd asked, home to girls who inevitably ended up marrying doctors or lawyers. And I had to admit, the exterior of the house was as swanky as the reputation. It should’ve been called a mansion rather than a house, and all of the maintenance and yardwork was immaculate.

I'd barely even rung the doorbell when a girl around my age pulled the door open. She had a megawatt smile that didn't reach her eyes, but she greeted me kindly enough and introduced me to two ladies sitting at a table near the door. 

"Mandy, Babs, this is Joan Schmidt." I didn't miss the enunciation the girl put on my last name, and sighed internally as Mandy and Babs rocketed out of their chairs. 

"It's so nice to meet you, Joan. The school has just been buzzing about your arrival, you know," Babs gushed, only stopping when Mandy elbowed her in the ribcage.

"It's nice to meet you too," I responded, greeting them with my best smile. My dad was making me do this, but that was no reason to wreak havoc on these girls' night. 

"So we'll just get you a nametag," Mandy explained as she wrote one out and peeled it off before sticking it to my dress. "And I can introduce you to some of the girls!"

As Mandy took my arm in hers and led us off down a hallway, Babs made to follow, but was stopped in her tracks by a death glare from Mandy that she thought I wouldn't catch. She turned back to me with a gracious smile before saying, "We here at Alpha are more than happy to offer you a spot in our ranks. We only take ladies who we feel will exemplify the strict moral, social, and academic code of an alpha, and luckily there's already a bid waiting for you!"

I was shocked at her words, though I shouldn't have been. Corruption had always run deep in the Greek ranks, but to hear it put so blatantly was unnerving, to say the least.

"And you can meet some of the girls here tonight!" Mandy added as we came out into a grand parlor positively teeming with young women. 

And I spent the rest of the night meeting every single one of those women. Even the potential pledges, even the legacies, even the alums. Half of them were named Mary and it was impossible to keep track of. Worst of all, Mandy didn't leave my side the whole night, so I was unable to graciously leave early.

It was around eleven when I found myself sitting at a spotless wooden table surrounded by the older sisters. They were gossiping and trying to include me, but I hadn’t heard of most of the people, so I was really lost.

“…well, and you know that Bucky Barnes.” The name made my head perk up. The words had come from a blonde sitting across from me who was trying too hard to be Marilyn Monroe. What was her name? Shirley? Jane? Mary? Probably Mary. 

She had this superior look on her face, as if she knew more than we did and she was better than us for it. The first part was probably true, but I had my doubts about the second. “He tries to get into everyone’s pants. Why-“ She paused and leaned forward, everyone mimicking her pose. We must’ve looked catty as hell, and I hated it, but I played along. To hear more about Bucky, if nothing else. “Why I heard that Mandy and him…” She trailed off, raising her eyebrows dramatically as she let the meaning of her words seep into all of our minds. 

The girls looked positively scandalized. I wasn’t really that shocked. Mandy was gorgeous, and Bucky was, well, he was himself.

“No!” Another girl gasped, apparently appalled at the idea. I didn’t care enough to even try to remember her name. “Mandy would never! She has Greg!”

Now Greg I did know. Not personally, but I’d heard the name being thrown around, and I’d surmised that he was one of the officers of the pristine Omega house, and he and Mandy had been going steady for awhile now.

Mary rolled her eyes, but before she had a chance to argue, another girl piped up. “No, I believe it. Have you seen the way she looks at him sometimes? Besides, it’s Bucky Barnes. He’s a total hunk!”

Their teenage-esque chatting made me smile, but the next few minutes of conversation did not.

“Not to mention he’s slept with half of Zeta,” another girl added, a devilish smile crossing her face. 

A younger girl gasped. “Really? I have friends in Zeta.”

Mary scoffed. “Not anymore, honey. Not sure why you’re surprised, though. It’s old juice that Delta is full of a bunch of sad excuses for men.”

Another girl nodded thoughtfully. “Every time I walk by there, they hoot and holler at me like apes. And they’re constantly loaded in class.”

A murmur of assent swept through the crowd.

“Total opposite of the Omegas,” Mary agreed. She turned to me then, surprising me. “Speaking of, have you seen that new shoe-in Omega Chip Diller?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Oh, honey. Let me tell you what’s going on. He’s ready to be the top ROTC cadet, and I’ve been told personally that they’re hoping he’s president of Omega by the time he’s a junior! You should totally go with him!” She looked ecstatic, and a quick glance around me affirmed that the rest of the girls were nodding along in agreement.

“I hope I get to meet him soon, and I’ll keep it in mind,” I said, trying to keep it light without rejecting her proposal outright. I didn’t know the guy. But if he was an Omega brother, and Omega was the frat equivalent to Alpha… that didn’t bode well for our future.

Mary giggled. “Oh, you’re funny. Of course you’ll meet him soon- I’ll introduce you myself if I have to. He’s perfect for the daughter of the dean, and a guaranteed Alpha no less.” She smiled excitedly at me, but I only thanked her graciously, out of my mind relieved when the conversation shifted away from me.

I was stuck until late at night, and by the time I was finally able to make my excuses and head out, the sun had long past gone down and the night was looking chilly for my half mile walk back to campus.

I was in such a rush to put as much distance between myself and that house as possible that I didn't realize I'd run into the middle of an arguing couple until it was too late. "I'm sorry," I said hastily, taking a step back as the blond guy and his brunette girlfriend looked down at me. The anger had left their faces immediately; they looked curious now. Or confused.

"Oh don't be, it happens all the time," the girl spoke first, shooting a glare at her boyfriend. Her starkly British accent took me by surprise. "If you don't mind us asking why are you out alone so late?"

"Finally got away from the rush social at Alpha Phi. They hardly let me leave," I complained, the bitterness seeping into my voice.

The guy laughed. "Well of course not. They are alphas after all; they're the bi-" A sharp glare from his girlfriend stopped the word in its tracks, and he backpedaled. "-they're the rudest girls on campus. All they want is popularity and a rich husband. Clearly they saw something they liked in you."

I wasn't about to tell these two strangers that it was because my father was the dean, so I just shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. It's a pain in my ass though. I don't even want to be in a sorority, my dad just wanted me to."

The two shared a look, and I didn't even have time to protest the obvious pity they felt for me before the girl was taking charge. "Look, my name's Peggy, and this is Steve. Why don't you let us walk you home? It's cold out, and I'd hate for you to be walking all the way back to campus this late."

There wasn't much to consider. Campus wasn't the most dangerous place to be walking around, but I didn't know these streets and it was a Friday night, which meant they'd be full of drunk college guys. "I'd appreciate that, thanks."

Peggy broke into a smile. "Great! Give her your jacket, will you?" She turned to her boyfriend, who immediately took it off and handed it over. Peggy ignored my half-assed protests and helped me into the oversized jacket. Once it was on, I suddenly didn't have it in me to complain anymore. It was warm, and smelled nice, so when Peggy offered me her arm, I took it without hesitation and the three of us were off. 

"So what year are you two?" I wondered aloud.

"Both senior, although Steve doesn't act like it," Peggy said, the second half of the sentence cutting through the air like a knife. 

"Peggy!" Steve immediately protested. "Why do you have to share my life with everyone you meet?"

"Oh shut your face, I'm just making conversation," she quipped back, and I smiled despite myself. They were hopelessly in love despite all the arguing, that much was clear to see.

"It's not me that's not serious. It's my frat," Steve defended himself.

"Which one are you in?"

"Delta Tau Chi," he said with no hint of shame. "Worst frat on campus, ask anyone."

I giggled at the sentiment. My father would certainly agree, and he'd be appalled to learn I'd spent even a few moments with a delta. "I've heard." We walked a few steps in silence before I added, "So you know James then, right?"

Steve scoffed. "Haven't heard anyone call him James in years, but yeah, I know him. Goes by Bucky. He's a good friend of mine. How do you know him?"

"We were neighbors when we were younger. To be fair he probably wouldn't even remember me now," I said it all too hastily, not wanting Steve and Peggy to later find out who I really was from James.

"I'll ask him. Sometimes his memory surprises even me,” Steve mused, and I cussed internally. Oh well, not much to do about it now.

“And where are you from, if you don’t mind my asking?” I directed the question to Peggy.

“Not at all. I’m from London. Initially I was just supposed to study here for a semester, but then I met Steve, and this school is really great for my program, so I just decided to transfer from Cambridge.”

“Groovy.”

We chatted the whole way back to my dormitory where they dropped me off after giving me their phone numbers and making me promise to call if I needed anything.


	3. Chapter 3

I spent the rest of the week trying in vain to hide from alphas, deltas, and my father. An awkward conversation with Mandy relieved me of my bid and made me a lifelong enemy in the Alpha sisters (Mandy’s words, not mine). 

Unfortunately, Bucky wasn’t so easy to get rid of. Wednesday afternoon he approached me as I was studying in the quad, and I didn’t have time to get out of there before he was taking a seat next to me on my plaid blanket.

“Hey! No!” I protested, shoving him in the shoulder. He grabbed me by the wrist, holding me with ease for a few seconds before dropping it with a small smile. 

“Just a minute, sweetheart. I’m not leaving until you hear me out, and good luck trying to tug this blanket out from under me.”

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest, but finally said, “Fine. You have a minute.”

“Two days from now Delta is initiating our new recruits. Of course, the initiation itself is a sacred rite that non-Deltas are prohibited from, but after that you should come over. I’m the rush chairman, so I feel obligated to throw these young men a phenomenal first bash. Part of that is having lots of pretty girls there. So?” He spread his arms accommodatingly.

I giggled and relaxed despite myself. “My gosh, you just don’t get it, do you? I’m the Dean’s daughter, James- or should I call you Bucky?”

“How about you call me tonight, so that I can give you the details of the party?” he responded, all cheeky grin and raised eyebrows as he shamelessly flirted with me.

“Oh, cut it out. I’m the Dean’s daughter. I can’t be seen with a bunch of degenerate frat brothers. You know that.”

He shrugged. “Look, it’s just that you look a bit lonely. All alone out here, reading, what is it?” He grabbed my book and flipped it so he could see the cover. He moved too fast for me to catch, and a grin spread across his face. “The Odyssey? What, just some light reading?”

I snatched the book back from him, glaring at him as I held it close to me. “It’s not the hardest thing to read. Besides, I like the ending.”

“The part where Odysseus slays like two hundred people in a few hours or the part where he’s reunited with the love of his life?”

“The reuniting part, obviously.” I waited a beat for him to say something rude, but when he didn’t, I continued. “Look, why don’t you just go play with your deltas, or some of those zeta girls you love so much? I know why you’re so interested in me, and I’m not flattered.”

“Come then, put away your sword in its sheath, and let us two go up into my bed so that, lying together in the bed of love, we may then have faith and trust in each other.”

His words shocked me. “What?”

He smiled up at me then, all hints of malice gone, and it was hard to keep ahold of my breath when he answered, “From The Odyssey. It’s not really known as a romantic book, but that quote stuck with me when I read it freshman year.”

“Oh,” was all I could say, dumbfounded at his sudden knowledge.

He patted me on the shoulder before standing up. “I think my minute’s over, but yours doesn’t have to be. I’ll see you on Friday.”

By the time I could shape my lips around the words of protest I wished to use, he was long gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Next Monday, the school was buzzing with news. I heard it from two girls at lunch before I heard it from my father himself: Kruger’s horse had been found dead inside his office. They’d had to saw it apart to get it out; it sounded like a nightmare. And somehow, everyone had already pinned it on the deltas, although nobody seemed to have any real evidence of it. 

To make matters worse, the new pledges had been initiated over the weekend, and half the guys were wearing pledge pins. The boy who sat next to me in my first lecture of the day had a shiny one on, right over his ROTC uniform, which I thought was pretentious as hell to be wearing around to classes. And it was from omega house. I put two and two together: this must be the Chip Diller that Mary had gushed to me about. I didn’t see what the fuss was. He wasn’t all that cute.

Luckily, he didn’t say a word to me until after class. I grimaced but forced myself to turn back to him when I head him ask, “Joan?”

“Yeah?” I asked lightly, well aware of everyone else filing out of the lecture hall. Soon we’d be all alone in here. 

A relieved smile crossed his face. “Good. I thought I recognized you. How’d you like the class?”

“Math isn’t really my thing, but I like Professor Erskine.” I shifted my backpack higher on my shoulder, hoping he’d get the hint that I really wanted to leave.

“Yeah, me too. So look, would you like to maybe grab a soda with me sometime? We can go to JJ’s; everyone says it’s the best soda shop near campus.”

“I uh- Just uh, I mean…” I was stammering along, trying to find the best way to let him down easy, when my guardian angels showed up in the form of two guys on either side of me.

“Joan! Someone’s broken into your dorm room! You need to come with us, right now!”

All thoughts of Chip having left me, I gasped and followed obediently when one of the guys grabbed my arm and dragged me along with him. His friend followed us, and we didn’t stop until we were standing in an alcove outside building.

“Why are we stopping? I have to get to my room!” I protested, but the guy waved off my concerns.

“It was just a distraction to get you out of there. Nobody’s broken into your room,” the guy who’d taken my arm explained. They both had pledge pins on.

“Oh. Well thanks, I guess. How did you know I wanted out of there?” I asked out of curiosity, relief seeping into my muscles at the idea of not dealing with Diller for another few days.

“We uh… you just looked uncomfortable?” the other guy offered, an uncomfortable smile on his face. He was an awful liar.

When I finally looked harder at their pins, it all made sense, and I shook my head at Bucky’s antics. “Gosh. You’re deltas. Bucky put you up to this, didn’t he?”

They looked to each other, nerves setting in as they stumbled over their words trying to dissuade me of what I already knew to be true. I waved them off, annoyance lacing my words as I tried to not take out my anger on these clueless guys. “Look, thanks for watching out for me. Chip’s kind of obnoxious. But I can handle myself, okay? Tell Bucky to ease off.” I turned to leave, but a stray thought made me turn back to them. “You can also tell him that that stunt he pulled with Kruger’s horse was vile. That poor animal did nothing.”

With that, I turned my back on them and headed off to my next class.


	5. Chapter 5

I was too distracted by worries of my upcoming calculus exam to notice his approach, and by the time I did he was already sliding into the booth on my side, blocking my escape.

“James!” I hissed, shouldering him in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to leave. “Get out of here!”

He stared at me for a few seconds, patiently waiting for me to give up. When I did, he continued. “I’m not leaving. Not until I get an explanation for why you didn’t show up Friday night. We were all pretty bummed out by it, me and the boys.”

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “You should’ve known better. I can’t get caught hanging around with you and your degenerate friends, you know that.”

“Now don’t get all bent with me, little lady. I was just trying to show a freshie a good time.”

I shot a glare at him. “Yeah, and I know what your idea of a good time is. I told you, I’m not interested.”

He sighed and shook his head, leaning practically across the table to catch my eye. I could’ve ignored him, but I relented and turned to him. He gave me a sad little smile. “Sad thing is, baby, it’s not even like that. You think I’d spend all this time pursuing a girl if all I wanted to do was get in her pants? Hell, there’s ten women I can think of right now off the top of my head that would come sprinting if I called.”

I stared at him, looking for any hint of joking. I knew he was probably still trying to take advantage of me, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. “For real?”

“About the women? Yes.” A small smile crossed his face, only wiped off when I threw my arms up in exasperation and turned back to the window. “C’mon now, yes for real.”

I’d turned back to him to respond, but at that moment Chip, Mandy, and Babs appeared at the end of the booth. Bucky turned to them with a smile. “Sorry, but we’re having a private conversation.”

Chip slid into the other side of the booth anyway, his face stony. “Beat it, Barnes. Stop bothering her.” Mandy and Babs joined him, looking positively disgusted by Bucky.

Bucky frowned at Chip. “Hang loose, dude. What’s the big deal?”

Babs responded first. “Oh don’t play dumb. You just want her to start going with you so the dean won’t throw the deltas off campus.”

Bucky feigned shock, mouth wide open and back of his hand on his forehead. I stifled a giggle at his antics. “I would never! I’m just chatting with this lovely young lady here. Didn’t know you were the Johnny Law of conversations.”

“Oh this is just a mess and a half!” Mandy whisper-yelled, glaring at Bucky with her arms crossed over her chest. “Leave her alone!”

Bucky shot a wink at her. “That’s not what you were saying to me two months ago.”

Mandy gasped, and I snorted in laughter, trying to keep down the sip of water I’d just taken. The whole table turned to face me, angry looks on the faces of the three across from me as if I’d interrupted a conversation that wasn’t mine.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, pushing my salad around my plate absentmindedly. 

Chip was about to shoot something back at Bucky, when the arrival of one of the deltas grabbed all of our attentions. I’d seen him around, but it wasn’t until Bucky exclaimed, “Dum Dum!” that I had half a clue what his name was.

He had a full tray of food, and without a single word of explanation began shoveling it into his mouth. Bucky threw his head back and let out a deep, throaty laugh. The three faces across the table had fallen into various looks of disgust. 

“Don’t you have any respect for yourself?” Chip finally asked.

Dum Dum paused for a second, shrugged, then returned to his feast. 

“Pig,” Babs muttered, leaning in to Mandy as if to whisper something in her ear. They couldn’t have seen it coming. Dum Dum got a fist full of cherry pie in each hand, and without further ado, smeared one hand onto each of their faces.

My mouth fell wide open, as did the two girls’ after Dum Dum released them. We were all silent for a beat, then suddenly everything happened at once. Dum Dum started laughing maniacally, joined by Bucky after a few seconds. Mandy and Babs screamed and immediately began berating Dum Dum as they stood from the booth and tried unsuccessfully to wipe off their faces. We’d already gotten the attention of the whole cafeteria, but Chip didn’t help when he stood up on the bench and pointed down at Dum Dum. “Now you’re going to get it!”

Dum Dum didn’t hesitate, instead immediately taking a few steps back with two hands full of jello now as Chip chased him. Dum Dum feinted to each side a few times before shouting, “Food fight!” and promptly launching the jello at Chip. It hit home, dripping down his face and onto his uniform.

Screams arose from the rest of the room, and before I knew what was happening, Bucky had grabbed my hand and was pulling me through the room. It was astounding how quickly chaos had taken hold. We ducked to avoid several foods flying through the air and had just reached the exit when I heard an unidentifiable shout behind me. I turned just in time to see Bucky step in front of me and get hit square in the face with a scoop of ice cream. “Shit!” he shouted, before turning back to me and hustling me out of the door. I didn’t even have time to be shocked by his foul mouth. 

Unfortunately, we’d gone to the closest exit, which just so happened to be an emergency exit. Screams arose from inside as it slammed shut behind us, and when I turned back I could see that the sprinkler system and fire alarm had both been activated. People were streaming out of every door to the building, and the cafeteria was clogged with people trying to get out, covered in food and now also soaking wet. 

I turned back to Bucky, who’d taken out a handkerchief and was trying to dab the melting ice cream off his skin. I threw my head back in laughter, the first deep laughter I’d had in weeks. I could barely breathe as I doubled over, holding my stomach as I basked in the memory of what’d just happened.

It only took a few seconds for Bucky to join me. Teachers were streaming out of the building now as well, looking confused, and as soon as I managed to stop laughing I took the handkerchief from Bucky, taking over with trying to get him clean. “You look suspicious,” I explained as I worked the sticky rag down his cheeks.

“Gosh, that was freezing,” Bucky chuckled, eyes on me now instead of the slowly dissipating calamity inside.

“Thanks for taking the heat for me.”

“You’re very welcome. Do you believe me now?” He rose one eyebrow, and I sighed, handing the handkerchief back to him. 

“Honestly, not really.” I looked down at the ground, sure he’d be disappointed with my answer.

Instead, his finger under my chin forced me to look up and make eye contact with me. He had a bittersweet smile on his face. “It’s okay. I’m not afraid of some hard work.”

His words made a shiver run down my spine for some reason. “Good. I hope they don’t blame your frat for this.”

Bucky looked over at the mess surrounding the cafeteria. Dum Dum and Chip were nowhere to be see. Fire truck sirens could be heard in the distance. He turned back to me with a tight-lipped smile. “Oh, I’m sure they will. Don’t you worry about me though.”

“I’ll try. I should be going though, I’d rather not be here when my dad comes around looking for answers. See you later?”

He smiled graciously. “Have a good day, baby.”


	6. Chapter 6

I pulled my skirt lower and tucked a stray hair back behind my ear. My heart was hammering in my chest, butterflies in my stomach. I’d been pulled from calculus with orders to report directly to my father’s office. 

I had no idea why. He was probably going to lecture me about something, and wanted to be taken seriously. For the life of me, I had no idea what it’d be. I’d been perfect in college, on better behavior than ever before. My grades were fantastic. I’d suffered no disciplinary action. 

“Miss Schmidt? The dean will see you now.” My professor’s receptionist spoke up from behind her desk with a bright smile. I didn’t know if she was playing dumb or really too thick to realize who I was, but I thanked her as I opened the door and slid into my father’s ostentatious office.

I’d only been in here once before. My dad preferred to keep his home life and work life separate, so he didn’t make a big deal of being the dean of the college I was currently attending, and he certainly never took his family on campus if he could avoid it. It looked the same as it had four years ago- walnut paneling, gold accents, shelf after shelf of books he’d never read.

He was sitting behind his desk when I came in, and Kruger, the head ROTC cadet and treasurer of omega house, was sitting in a chair across from him. They both stood up when I walked in.

“Joan, thanks for coming today. Have a seat, please.”

He was going to play this as if I was normal student, which probably meant I was being reprimanded for something. I resolved myself to what would surely be a not-so-fun conversation as I sat and they mirrored me. “What’s up?”

My father frowned at me from across the expansive desk, but didn’t comment on my informal greeting. “Mr. Kruger and I have been sharing concerns about your involvement with the fraternity Delta Tau Chi. We just wanted to rest assured that you understand who these young men are and why you may wish to not associate with them in the future.”

I frowned. Of everything he could’ve called me in here to talk about, this wasn’t what I’d expected, not least of all because I didn’t associate with the deltas. “I don’t associate with the deltas. What is this in reference to?”

“One of my cadets witnessed you sitting with James Barnes in the cafeteria a few days ago. Soon thereafter, another delta started a food fight in the cafeteria that caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, took eight hours to clean up, and resulted in the fire department sending the university a strongly-worded letter of complaint,” Kruger said from beside me. 

I ignored him, focusing instead on my father, the real man in charge here. Kruger was just his eyes and ears on campus, one of his spies. “I wasn’t responsible for that food fight at all. And is it wrong for me to talk to someone, a childhood friend at that?” I tilted my head to the side, which I knew my father hated.

I wasn’t sure why I was defending the deltas; I hardly knew them. But I was sick and tired of the way he’d been talking about them, James especially. Sure they’d done wrong, but that didn’t set them apart from every other person on the planet. And James had been one of my father’s favorite neighborhood kids years ago. It seemed wrong for him to be turning on him like this.

His upper lip twitched, but he gave no other indication of the annoyance he was certainly feeling. “Now, nobody’s saying that, but…” he trailed off helplessly, looking to Kruger for assistance, who only shifted uncomfortably in his seat when I turned and stared him down. Coward.

“But what? C’mon dad, sock it to me,” I challenged him directly, leaning forward in my seat, interested in whether or not he had any actual reason to hate the deltas and if he did, whether or not he’d dirty his innocent daughter’s mind and tell me what it was. 

“You shouldn’t be going anywhere near any of the deltas. I’m ordering you to stay away from them.”

I sat back in my seat, letting out a sigh of exasperation. “Why do you hate them so much anyway? What evidence do you have? Are the omegas feeding you information?” I looked pointedly at Kruger, who pursed his lips in an ugly annoyed sneer. “They’re a bunch of stuck up soshes, and I bet they’re just talkin’ trash anyway. They want the deltas off campus because they can’t take the competition.”

My father’s mouth opened to respond, but Kruger beat him there. “That’s not true!” he exploded, shooting out of his seat. “Their house average GPA is a 1. They have more disciplinary marks than the other fraternities combined. Just last week, they killed an innocent horse in this very office. They’re constantly hungover, lazy, and out of line. Not a single one of them is deserving of a Faber education. And Barnes in particular? He spends more time in passion pits and submarine races than he does breathing.”

It was my turn to rocket out of my seat, jabbing my finger two inches from Kruger’s face. “That’s not true and you know it! You just hate him because he got with Mandy while she was still dating Greg! It’s not his fault Greg’s a total bore.”

Kruger gasped, and my father stood up before he could argue. “That’s enough!” His booming voice made both of us shut up and turn to face him. “Kruger, dismissed.”

Kruger nodded and immediately left, glaring at me the whole way. I turned back to my dad, immediately ready to argue, but his outstretched palm shut me up. “Look, I don’t know why you’re defending the deltas. But this nonsense stops now. If you’re seen with them, you’ll be grounded immediately. You can live at home and commute to school instead of living with all your friends in the dorm. And if you continue to disobey me, far more dire consequences will come your way.”

“But dad-“ I began to protest, immediately offended by his ultimatum.

He cut me off. “No buts. I’ve spoken my piece. You’re dismissed.”

I stood stock-still for a few seconds, mouth hanging open in shock and eyebrows furrowed with the injustice of it all before sighing loudly and storming out of there.


	7. Chapter 7

Walking alone on campus was not a great idea, I knew that. But I’d been in a late meeting with some other students in Johnson Hall and had to get back to my dorm, which meant crossing most of campus in the dark. It was a weekday though, which meant most students should’ve been in their dorms or houses, so I wasn’t worried.

I should’ve been. I was walking through the alley by the side of the union when a voice made me whip around. “Joan!”

It was Chip. Shit. I planted a fake smile on my face and waited for him to catch up to me. He did with a smile, out of breath as he tried to lean casually against the building. “What’re you doing out this late?” Something about his manner lit up a warning signal in my mind, but I couldn’t focus on what it was trying to tell me.

“Just heading back to my dorm. How about you?” There was nobody else in sight. 

When he leaned in closer to me, I realized what was wrong. His cheeks were flushed red, his hair a mess. I could smell booze on his breath with ease, and I took a reflexive step back. 

“I’m here to escort pretty girls back to their dorm, to keep them from getting attacked by some creep.”

“Oh.” I waited a moment. “You want to walk back with me?”

He nodded, but we didn’t get two steps before he spoke up again. “So when were you thinking we should go get that soda?”

I sighed and stopped, hoisting my purse up higher on my shoulder as I faced him. “Look, Chip. I’m flattered, I really am. But I’m just not interested in you that way.”

I thought I’d done my best to lessen the blow, but his face immediately turned into a snarl. He took a step closer to me, forcing me back closer to the wall. “What?”

“I- I don’t want to date you,” I stammered, heart beating quickly as he didn’t back off. Sweat was starting to bead on my upper lip, and adrenaline coursed through my veins.

“Why? I’m a great guy. Everyone says so.”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you, okay? Leave me alone.”

He took a step closer, and as I took the same step away my back fell against the wall of the building. Much quicker than I thought was possible, he fell forward and planted his hands on the wall on either side of me, trapping me in. “Why?”

I gasped and tried to shove him off me to no avail. “Leave me alone!” I went to knee him in the groin, but his hand caught my knee with ease and shoved it back down, and when he pressed his body against mine with my hands painfully pressed against the wall by his own, I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t move any of my limbs, so I resigned myself to squirming against him. “Stop it!” I screamed, eyes going wide as he took both of my wrists with one hand and went to cover my mouth with the other.

In a split second, the weight was lifted off me. I fell forward, taking a few big steps away from the wall as I gasped to get my breath back. It was Steve; he’d yanked Chip off of me and as I watched he landed a solid punch to his face, knocking him unconscious. 

“Shit,” I stuttered, grabbing onto the wall in an attempt to steady myself. 

Steve looked up after ensuring Chip was really out, and approached me slowly with his arm outstretched towards me.

“I uh, thank- thank you,” I tried. My heart was slowing down now, but I could still hear ringing in my ears and the adrenaline was all-too present.

“You good?” Steve asked, putting his hand on my right shoulder and rubbing it reassuringly. 

“Yeah. Shit. Shit!” I went off suddenly, the weight of what’d just happened finally sinking in. 

“You’re okay now,” Steve tried to reassure me, bending down to my level so he could make eye contact with me. 

“I know, I- god. I can’t believe he did that.”

Steve shrugged, his hands going back to his sides. “Me neither. He was drunk though, so I guess that explains it.”

“Shit,” I repeated shakily, running a hand through my hair. His hand rubbing his chin in thought grabbed my attention. “You’re bleeding.” His knuckles were scraped up from the punch.

“I’m fine. Let me walk you back.”

“Okay.” We took off then, Steve matching my slow pace as we left Chip to either be found in the morning or wake up sooner or later. Thinking about Chip and how empty campus was made me immediately suspicious of Steve, especially considering the actions of the two delta pledges in my class. “What were you doing out here?” When he didn’t immediately answer, I huffed and stopped walking, turning to face him. “Bucky put you up to this, didn’t he?”

Steve stopped as well, turning to me with an exasperated sigh. “No, he didn’t. I was visiting Peggy, who lives across town, and the quickest way to get back to my house is through campus. Okay?”

I shifted my weight from one foot to another, not entirely convinced but begrudgingly admitting to myself that it shouldn’t really matter why Steve was there. I was just lucky he was. “Okay.” I resumed walking then, Steve right beside me. 

“Are you going to report him?” Steve asked hesitantly.

I was silent for a beat. “Yeah, I think so. It’s your and my word against his, my father has to believe us.” I gasped and winced as I realized what I’d just said.

Steve didn’t seem confused, or even surprised. “Your father the dean, right?”

It was my turn to be surprised. “How did you know?”

“Bucky told us all about you. It really shocked him when you didn’t show up Friday.”

I snorted. “Not sure why.”

Steve smiled at me. “Now that I know you a bit better, I have to agree with you. And don’t worry, I’ll testify in front of anyone about what happened.”

“Thanks. It means a lot.” 

We reached my dorm soon, and I said my goodbyes to Steve at the door. I was just about to close it when he held up a hand and said, “Wait.” He seemed indecisive about speaking.

I stopped, opening the door wider and looking at him expectantly.

“I know it’s the wrong time to ask this, but would you please just talk to Bucky? I know his reputation, but I also know him better than anyone and it’s just different this time. I’ve never seen him like this before, that’s the simple truth. It’s tearing him apart.”

I sighed, dragging the toe of my shoe along the ground. After tonight, everything seemed a bit shaken up. Maybe Bucky would offer some reassurance, some nostalgia for my childhood that Chip had just marred. He couldn’t make things worse, could he?

“Okay. Tell him to come here tonight, at one in the morning. I have my own room on the first floor, so I’ll leave the window cracked and he can open it and climb right in. If he’s not here at exactly one, I’m closing the window and going to sleep. Got it?”

Steve broke into a smile. “I’ll relay the message. Thank you, so much.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Joan.” He left after that, and I eased the door shut before returning to my own room.

Now what to do? I had three hours to kill, and anxiety about tonight was already seeping in. I tried to get some homework done, fumbled with the radio, debated calling someone. The only thing that seemed to work was settling down with my copy of The Odyssey, but by the time I managed to get into it it was already ten till one. 

I sighed and tossed the book aside, getting up and primping myself in the mirror for a few minutes, shaky hands only managing to make more of a mess of my hair. I slid the window up a few inches. After that I paced about, butterflies zooming about in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if the thought of being caught in my room with a boy or the thought of simply having Bucky in my room was making me more nervous, but whatever it was it was potent.

The seconds ticked by, silence drowning me as I listened for any clues as to his approach. It didn’t even cross my mind to worry about what would happen if he didn’t show. 

Hands appeared on the bottom of the window at 11:58, pushing it up and revealing Bucky’s grinning face. “Am I on time?”

“Get in here!” I hissed, not wanting him to be seen. 

“Okay, take it easy.” The sill was high, but he vaulted over it with ease. The sound of his shoes slapping the floor made me cringe, but I reminded myself that it was only loud because my room was completely silent. 

He shut the window behind him and straightened up. We took each other in for a few seconds, him in his sweater and me in my dress. “Is what Steve told me true?” he whispered, eyes on mine. He was pissed, but it wasn’t at me.

“Yes.” My voice was barely a squeak, and I jumped when Bucky whipped around and went to punch the wall, at the last second letting his palm slap against it instead. 

“That little fuck,” Bucky muttered, shoulders shaking in rage as he stared out my window at the blackness beyond.

It wasn’t where I thought the conversation was going, but there we were. “Don’t worry about it. Steve and I will testify against him, and he’ll be expelled,” I reassured Bucky. When he didn’t respond, I stepped closer to him, resting a reassuring hand on his back. I could easily see this backfiring, and I didn’t want the deltas to suffer for Chip’s actions. He had to calm down.

He was warm, and strong beneath my fingers. It took a few seconds, but he sighed and I felt the tension seep out of his muscles. “You’re right. It just…” he trailed off, turning to face me. I let my arm drop. We were inches from each other. “The deltas get the bad reputation. Maybe I’ve slept around, but I would never- none of us would ever do something like that.”

I nodded in agreement. “It’s awful. But you can’t do anything about it, you understand? My dad is looking for any excuse to give you guys the boot. Don’t give him one.”

He sighed in frustration but nodded. Almost without thinking, I brought my right hand up and rested it against his cheek, letting my thumb rub comforting circles in his skin. I was trying to make him calm down, but I’d be lying if I said I was getting nothing from it. I wanted all traces of Chip off my skin, and replacing it with traces of Bucky seemed to be working.

He finally looked up into my eyes, a small smile on his lips. “Look at you, just been through this traumatic thing and you’re the one comforting me.”

“Don’t worry about me,” I murmured.

“Shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve always been the one who takes care of everyone else.” His voice had gotten a tad lower if I wasn’t mistaken.

I let my eyes shift away from his, easily pulled down past his nose to his lips, across his jawline to his hair that looked softer than should’ve been possible. I was in a mood, and it made me want to do something crazy. I wanted him; and my body was begging me to admit it to myself.

“Can I kiss you?” His words were even lower now, and when my eyes flickered up to his own it was only to see that his usually bright blue eyes had turned darker, and it wasn’t just the lighting in the room. It would’ve been unnerving, but as it was it just made me nod.

He inched towards me, but my patience wore thin before he got there. I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his own. He responded in kind, taking my breath away as his hot touch met my skin. It felt like he was everywhere, surrounding me, and I was more than happy to surrender control for once.

He pulled back too early, but as I opened my eyes I realized this was far from over. He took me by the shoulders and gently moved me back against the wall, pressing against me once again before kissing me. I let my hands run through his hair (it was as soft as it looked), down across his jawline and neck before stopping on his broad shoulders.

His tongue pressed against my lips, surprising me with its warmth, but I didn’t argue, just opened my mouth to his. We frenched for a few moments, but his hand creeping around the hem of my shirt forced me back into reality and made me pull back. “Stop,” I practically gasped, head cloudy with arousal as he gazed down at me with heavy eyes. “We should stop.”

He took a deep breath, averting his gaze as if to reset his system. He adjusted his pants and nodded. “You’re right.”

“Really?” I was shocked he wasn’t trying to push things further.

“I always move fast, but you’re different. It’s your call.”

I was speechless for a moment. How did he have such a bad reputation? Every guy I’d ever kissed (all two of them anyway) had gotten painfully possessive after I let them touch me. Neither wanted to back down once things got going. “Thanks,” I murmured, taking a few steps back and sitting on my bed.

“I really didn’t even plan for that to happen. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He sat next to me, leaving ample space between us.

“I’m not mad it happened,” I admitted in a small voice.

He reached out and took my hand in his, resting it on the sheets between us. “Good, because I’m not either.”

We were quiet for a beat, then I asked, “So what now?”

“You report Chip to the dean. Steve will back you up. I’m sure it’ll work out.”

I chuckled. “No, I know that. About us. What next?”

His lips quirked to the side. “Let’s just take it slow. You can come to the house, hang out and meet everyone during the next party we throw. I know you don’t want to be seen with me, and I respect that. So you can come to us, at night when nobody will see.”

I frowned. “I wish things were different. Why does my dad have to be the dean?”

“It is what it is. We’ll be okay.”

I nodded, trusting him more than I probably should’ve. We talked late into the night, bonding as I confessed things to him that I hadn’t to anyone else. He left around three, promising to keep an eye on me and send Steve to the dean first thing tomorrow morning. We shared another kiss before he stole off into the night. I was sad to see him go, but the memory of the night we’d shared was enough to keep me giddy as I drifted off to an easy sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The incident report slip was messy, from my hand shaking as I filled it out. But it seemed as though they’d been able to read it, because there wasn’t even a full hour between me submitting it and me being pulled from class and escorted to the dean’s office. There was no waiting around like last time; instead I was told to go right in. His receptionist definitely knew who I was this time, and a painful look crossed her face at my appearance. I wondered what she knew.

I was surprised to find Steve, my father, Chip, and Kruger already seated inside. They didn’t stand up for me this time.

“Joan, take a seat,” my father said, gesturing to the only empty one left in the room. It was one of the two in front of the desk, and Chip was in the other one. Steve and Kruger shared a bench against the wall. I swallowed thickly and sat after pulling my chair a few feet away from Chip.

He had an impressive shiner, and didn’t look remorseful in the slightest. I took deep breaths to slow my racing heart.

“Now Joan, why don’t you just go ahead and tell us what happened in reference to your complaint?” 

I recounted the events of last night, voice strengthening as I spoke. Everyone was silent until I’d finished, and I waited expectantly for my father to scream at Chip.

It didn’t happen. When he instead sighed in disappointment and stood from his desk, I knew something was wrong.

“I’m sorry to hear you say that.” Something was very wrong. He strolled over to look out of his window. “You see, this morning Mr. Diller and Mr. Kruger both reported to my office and told me a very different story. They said that Mr. Rogers had been the perpetrator of the attack, and Chip was injured in the fight that ensued when he tried to tear Mr. Rogers away from you.”

“What?!” I shouted, shooting out of my seat as I looked back to Steve for an explanation.

He only shrugged, an annoyed look on his face. “I told him my side of the story. Exactly as you told it. Only he doesn’t believe us.”

I turned back to my father, mouth open in shock. “Dad are you serious right now? How can you not believe your own daughter? Kruger wasn’t even there!”

“I was too far to help, but I saw what happened,” Kruger argued. 

I huffed. “He was not there! Chip sexually assaulted me. You have two people saying that, one of them is your own daughter. Have you gone mad?”

He turned back from his spot at the window. “I’m giving you the chance to press charges against Mr. Rogers, right here and now. I don’t know what he threatened you with, but I can promise you we won’t let him get anywhere near you if you tell the truth and indict him right now.”

“That’s insane!”

“Joan, he won’t hurt you if you press charges. I won’t let him,” Chip said emphatically, turning to give me a faux sincere look of concern.

That was the last straw. “You fucking-“ I got out before I launched myself at him, only stopped in my tracks by Kruger’s firm arm around my waist. He held me fast even as I shouted and cursed and swung my limbs wildly. Steve sighed and sank down further on the bench, holding a hand over his face.

They let my tantrum run its course, and by the time I got free of Kruger’s hold I’d realized even if I wanted to I couldn’t beat Chip. My dad was on his side. I wasn’t strong enough to just throw him to the ground and start whaling on him, which was what I wanted to do.

There was nothing left. He’d won.

Still, I pushed. “Steve told you the exact same story I did. How could we have coordinated that? Why can’t you believe him?”

“He’s a delta, which doesn’t bode well for his reputation. His grades are abysmal, and his disciplinary record is deep. Not to mention he’s commonly seen around campus fighting with his girlfriend.”

“You fight with mom all the time! Couples fight, it’s what they do! That doesn’t mean he’s a violent person or a liar.”

“His knuckles say otherwise,” my father shot back. I was in shock. This was not happening. 

“You won’t reconsider?” I asked, looking at him intently with my hands resting on his desk.

My father shook his head, returning to his seat. “No, I won’t. I wish you were brave enough to tell the truth.”

My bottom lip quivered, rage mixing with anxiety at the thought of being around Chip for the rest of my years at college. “Then I have nothing else to say to you.” I turned tail and headed for the door, grabbing Steve’s arm and pulling him out of there with me. My father shouted for me to stop, that he wasn’t done yet, but I ignored him, not stopping until we were a good ways away from the union.

“I can’t fucking believe this.” I was breathing hard, rage coursing through my veins like a drug as I fought the urge to punch something.

Steve was remarkably calm for a guy who’d just been accused of a sexual assault he’d actually prevented, and he stood patiently with his hands in his pockets as I stormed around, mind racing.

“It’s crazy. But that’s the omegas for you. They’d do anything to save their skins.”

“I can’t believe he’d…” I trailed off as my voice cracked, unable to voice the sentiment but sure that Steve knew what I was saying. It was my own father, a man who was supposed to love and protect me. And when I’d asked him to do so, he’d thrown it in my face.

“C’mere,” Steve said, opening his arms as my rage quickly disintegrated into sadness. I stepped forward and he wrapped his arms around me, rubbing comforting circles on my back. A choked sob came out before I could stop it, but I managed to keep most of the tears at bay.

“We’ll take care of Diller and Kruger, don’t you worry,” Steve murmured into my hair. His tone was ominous.

I pulled back instantly, holding him firmly by the arms as I realized how quickly this could go downhill. “Listen to me. I am ordering you not to do anything to the omegas. My dad only needs one more incident to give delta the boot. I’m not letting you take that fall for me. You hear?”

His jaw twitched in annoyance, and his hands had curled into fists. “Joan, Diller would’ve raped you if I hadn’t been there. He knows that. Kruger knows that, and he’s lying to save his brother. They accused me of assault. We’re not going to let them get away with this. And when Bucky hears about it?” Steve shook his head as if in disbelief. “He’s going to personally see to it that Diller never walks again.”

“Hey,” I said, more firmly now. “That is not your call to make. I’ll talk to Bucky about it. You can’t indict your entire house just to get revenge for me. Tell me you understand that.”

Steve only seemed to get angrier. “You can’t seriously expect me to agree to that. They have it coming. I don’t care if we get kicked out.”

“I do, okay? If you get expelled, not only do you lose three years of academic progress, but your names get released to the draft board. There are at least thirty of you in that house. At the rate they’re drafting, at least five of you would be enlisted within the next year. Think this through, please. I am fine, and I am asking you not to do this.”

That gave him pause. With a heavy sigh, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll try my best to keep the guys from taking revenge. But I can’t always control what they do. And you need to talk to Bucky. There’s no way I’ll change his mind on my own.”

I nodded, heart rate returning to normal as he told me what I needed to hear. “Of course. Tell him to come see me as soon as he can, okay?”

Steve nodded, still looking crushed. I couldn’t blame him, but I needed him to keep his head on straight.

“And thanks for trying, okay? None of this is your fault.”

He offered a small smile. “I know.”

We looked at each other for a few moments, sharing identical emotions if not thoughts. Disappointment, disbelief, anger. Mostly disbelief at this point, but I was working through it. 

“I should get to class. Goodbye, Steve.” I hugged him this time, tightly, trying to convey in touch what I’d failed to get across with words. I would be fine. The deltas couldn’t do anything about this.

He wished me goodbye as we separated, then I took off. My eyes trailed all over campus, my mind hyperaware of the fact that I’d eventually run into Chip but wanting to avoid it at all costs. Luckily I didn’t run into him all day.

Another man caught my eye that afternoon, storming across the lawn towards me. It was Bucky, and I watched as he shoved a younger guy out of his way, his eyes trained on me and me alone. If I didn’t know why he was so angry the look in his eyes would’ve terrified me. 

He reached me in no time, lowering himself onto the steps of Johnson Hall to sit with me. Before I could stop him or even think about if I wanted to, he’d pulled me towards him in a bone-crushing hug. It made me want to cry; I could practically smell the desperation and anger on him. 

He didn’t release me for a long minute, and when he finally did I planted a small kiss on his lips, taking him by surprise. “I thought you didn’t want people to see us together?” he asked, seemingly confused but not upset.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. You looked sad.” It was so much more than that, but I didn’t have the ability to put it into words.

He nodded, and as it came to me I added, “Besides, I don’t care if someone sees me with a delta now. The omegas are the worst. I’d go to bat with my father for a delta any day. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Bucky nodded, pressing his forehead to mine before leaning forward and giving me a kiss of his own. This one lasted longer, took my breath away as we moved together.

He pulled away to ask, “Everything Steve told me is true, isn’t it?”

I nodded, scooting closer to him to let his thigh rest against mine. His touch comforted me more than it probably should’ve. “If he told you that my dad didn’t believe me and then accused Steve of the crime, he was spot on. It was crap.”

Bucky nodded, taking a deep breath as he kept his eyes trained on mine. “And you don’t want me to do anything to those guys?”

“I don’t want any of you to do anything to those guys. Please. I need you to promise me that you won’t do anything to them. My dad is looking for any excuse to kick you off campus. Beating up a fellow student is more than enough.”

He was silent for a beat, eyes trained on the ground as he thought through things. “Okay,” he finally relented. “It’s your call. I respect that. I wish you’d let us beat the absolute crap out of them, but I get why you won’t.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, resting my chin on his shoulder and giving him a little peck on the cheek. “Thank you, so much.”

“The second you change your mind, though, let me know and I will personally rip Diller’s lungs out. Steve can take Kruger, he’s always had a problem with him. And you can watch.” His tone was deadly serious, even though I wanted to laugh at his choice of words. 

“Of course. There’s nothing I’d like to see more.”

He turned to me with a sympathetic smile then, breath hot against my face. “You okay? That’s got to be pretty jarring.”

I nodded, pulling my head back from his shoulder. “It is, but I’ll be alright. It’s a good thing I’m not living at home this year; I don’t think I could stand to live under the same roof as my dad after all this.”

Bucky nodded. “What about the holidays? Or next summer?”

I shrugged. “I’ll figure something out. I might be over it by then.”

He frowned. “This isn’t the type of thing you should ever get over, you hear me? Schmidt’s a moron if he can’t see that Diller’s a problem.”

“I agree.” I paused a moment before saying, “Can we just not talk about it anymore though? I really don’t want to think about it.”

He didn’t seem phased by this for a second, and easily segued into a hilarious story about Steve and Peggy and two of the pledges spending an evening at one of the professor’s houses, and all the shenanigans that had come about from that. It had me in side-stitching, tearing up laughter, and I realized how lucky I was to have Bucky on my side in all this. It was a mess, but he would make me laugh when I wanted to cry, and he’d talk some sense into me if I tried to do something stupid, and if I changed my mind I had no doubt he’d beat Diller into a pulp in a second. He was my distraction, a savior amongst the ruins of my carefree college days.


	9. Chapter 9

The shifting eyes amongst the deltas during the exam piqued my interest, but it was soon lost to the endless grind of a, b, c, or d, and I forgot all about it until we were handed back our tests in class the following week. 

I’d received a B, and silently congratulated myself as I began to look over what I’d missed. A distraction arose, however, in the form of several gasps and whispered murmuring. When I glanced behind me I realized it was coming from the group of ten deltas who sat at the back of class. It was a freshman level class, but even some delta juniors were in it, and they looked mad. Dr. Phillips shook his head disappointedly in their direction before settling everyone down and moving on with the lecture, but not before I caught sight of Chip, sitting on the other side of the lecture hall and smirking back at the deltas. Something was amiss.

Bucky was waiting for me outside of class like usual. I wasn’t sure what to call our little partnership, but it was definitely something, and he’d began to treat me more and more like a serious girlfriend in the two weeks that’d passed since the Chip incident. He made sure that I never walked anywhere on campus alone, which was reassuring but overbearing at times, if I was being honest.

“Do you know what’s up with your brothers? They all looked angry after we got our tests back today,” I asked after greeting him with a kiss on the cheek.

He began to walk, and I followed him as he spoke. “Not sure. Maybe they did worse than they anticipated?”

His uncertain tone gave him away. “Would you just tell me the truth?” I asked, tugging on his arm as we walked.

He sighed. “Fine. But you should know it wasn’t my idea. Dum Dum and Pinto found and stole the answer key for the test a week ago. They should’ve all passed with flying colors. Maybe Phillips caught wind of their cheating?”

The behavior was appalling, but I knew berating him would get me nowhere, so I just accepted the fact and moved on. “Don’t you think he would’ve called them all down to his office if he suspected that?”

Bucky nodded. “I’d think so, but he could’ve just thought the bad grades were punishment enough.”

I thought back to the look on Chip’s face after the tests had been handed out and knew there was something more to this. But I didn’t need to bother Bucky with it. He’d been looking for any excuse to smash Chip’s face in, and I didn’t want to give him one. So I let the issue drop, knowing I’d hear in a few days what’d happened.

And oh boy, did I ever. Bucky went home that day only to discover that the deltas had all bombed the test. Accusations had flown around, but after some snooping they learned that Diller and Kruger had planted fake test answers where they knew the deltas would find them. It was sneaky, but it was hard to exclusively blame the Omegas when the Deltas had stolen the sheet and used it. Bucky wasn’t happy with the situation, but his hands were tied. Asking Dr. Phillips for a redo would’ve been a blatant admittance of their cheating, and the dean was watching them closer than ever. So as any frat would’ve done when faced with such dire circumstances, they decided to throw a party. Of the toga kind. 

I’d told Bucky it was a bad idea, but he wasn’t having it. If he was going to be kicked out of college, it was going to be with a bang. So I’d reluctantly agreed to attend, and that’s how I found myself in Peggy’s apartment, bewildered as she draped a white bedsheet over me. 

“Are you sure this is how it’s supposed to fit?” I asked, staring at my odd reflection in the mirror as Peggy pinned me in. My hair was up in hot rollers, ready to be taken down in a few minutes, and I was doing my makeup as she flitted around me, her own ensemble already flawless. 

“Of course. Now hush, you’ll muss your lipstick.” She finished with the pinning and watched me like a hawk as I applied a layer of her brick red lipstick. I wasn’t normally one for bright colors, but I rather liked this. If I was going to rebel, why not go all the way?

I turned to her expectantly, pressing my lips together and batting my eyelashes to get her impression. “Oh, Bucky’s just going to eat you up. Let me take these out now.” She spent a few minutes taking my hair down and arranging it properly before spraying it into place. The finishing touch was a garland of red flowers.

“You like?” she asked, turning me to face the full-length mirror in her room.

I looked stunning. Maybe a bit risqué, but stunning nonetheless. I felt like a Hollywood starlet, and my subconscious wondered if there were any movies being made that would dress me up like this and let me act in them.

“I love it.”

I was still petting my hair when she checked the clock and grabbed me. “We’re going to be late!”

I giggled as I threw on a short pair of heels and grabbed my purse and jacket. “You’re supposed to be late; it’s a party, silly.”

She looked up at me incredulously, shaking her head. “Bucky has gotten into your head, hasn’t he?”

“He’s gotten into my more than that,” I teased, smiling at her appalled smirk. We’d grown closer ever since Steve had told her what’d happened with Chip and she’d sworn up and down she’d beat the tar out of him if he ever came near me again, and I was grateful for a female friendship that didn’t come about as a result of who my father was.

We got to the party fashionably late to my relief, and I tried to swallow my nerves as I paused on the steps of the delta house. It was a zoo, people and booze spilling out of the windows and doors as raucous music sounded from downstairs. This was it. There was no going back once I walked inside. I was pledging my support of the deltas and rebelling against my father’s wishes.

Peggy seemed to notice my hesitation, and gave me an understanding smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here the whole time, and if you ever want to leave just let me know and we’ll go back to my place, okay? No questions asked.”

I gave her a grateful albeit shaky smile. “Thanks.” Another deep breath reassured me. “Lead the way.”

Her face lit up, and she took my hand in hers before leading the way into the house.

It was more hectic than I could’ve imagined. People drank and smoked everywhere. A couple could be seen kissing in nearly every room, and doing quite a bit more than that in some of them. We passed a staircase next to a frosted glass door with the words, “Sex rooms,” painted on it in a bright red color. I shook it off and kept walking, reassured with my arm in Peggy’s. 

The music became louder and louder as we descended the steps into the basement, and soon the full force of the frat came into sight. A bar against the wall led to a band playing some upbeat music, and the floor in front of them was sprawling with couples and groups alike dancing to their hearts’ content.

Peggy led me to the bar, behind which the pledge from class who I recognized as Pinto was standing. “Where’s Bucky and Steve?” she shouted over the din.

“Check upstairs. I don’t think they’ve come down yet,” Pinto shouted back. “Beer?” He was holding out a cheap can towards both of us.

“Not yet,” Peggy responded, but I only nodded and snatched the beer from him. He watched in awe as I popped the tab and took a big swig.

“Right on!” he congratulated me, and I offered a weak salute before Peggy was taking my free hand and leading us back upstairs. The air down there was somehow clogged and smoky, and it made my head spin by the time we reached the second floor. The cold beer was a welcome relief from both the awkwardness I felt and the hot, smoky air that seemed to permeate the house.

We’d passed through the glass door, but to my relief it didn’t sound like there were people making love in any of the closed-door rooms we’d passed so far. Peggy seemed to know exactly where she was going, and we didn’t stop until we’d made it to the furthest door, upon which she knocked loudly.

“It’s Peggy and Joan.”

It took a few seconds, but Steve opened the door, a wide smile on his face. “Darling!” He swept Peggy up into his arms and rained kisses upon her before carrying her off without another word, leaving Bucky and I alone.

“How are you?” He seemed cockier than usual, leaning against a small bar in the room. I guess that’d make sense; he was in his element after all. 

“Fine, and you?” I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, happy as he raised an eyebrow in surprise at the bold action. 

“Not too shabby for a man who might be drafted in a few weeks.” He shrugged as if to say what can you do, and I rolled my eyes, coming to sit on one of the barstools.

“Don’t say that. You’ll curse yourself.”

“Darling, I think I’m already cursed. I mean, let’s take a look at my luck these past few years: pledged the worst frat on campus, beat up by a bunch of upperclassmen, womanizing reputation, bad grades, and now, getting all hot for the fuckin’ dean’s daughter. That doesn’t sound lucky.” He gave me a grim smile as he poured himself some whiskey from a decanter. The room was fancier than I’d supposed it would be, but it also looked a bit like a tacky strip club. What was with all the animal print?

I scoffed at his words, taking a sip of the beer. “Half of that is directly your fault. It all comes down to what you do, and what you don’t.”

“What’s something I don’t do?” he asked, his voice dropping a tone to what I’d come to recognize as his attempt at seduction as he began a slow prowl around the bar to join me.

“Where do I start? You don’t study. You don’t care about many other people. You don’t show any respect.”

He pouted, placing a hand on my knee as he reached me. I could smell the whiskey on his breath, but he wasn’t wasted at all- it was the reassuring scent of a nightcap, a hot toddy, a bar meet with good friends. 

“And what are the things I do?” He tilted his glass a bit and stared into my eyes, waiting for an answer.

“You spend all your time at passion pits and ‘scenic overlooks’ at night, you flirt with every girl you come into contact with, you party constantly.” I ran out of things to say, but smartly finished it off with, “And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

He frowned and held up a finger in protest, making me giggle. He made it so easy to relax around him. 

“You forgot the most important thing I do, the thing that has led to my most unlucky recent event.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“I’ve been following the dean’s daughter around like a puppy without its mother. I’ve allowed her to get inside me, to capture my heart and my mind and to take me into her world. She’s shown me some wonderful things, and my obsession with her is one of the worst misfortunes to ever befall me.”

I laughed aloud the second he quit. Leave it to Bucky to be romantic, sarcastic, poetic, and rude all in the same few words. “You’re being dramatic. Are we not going to go dance?”

That seemed to revive him. “Of course we are.” I gladly took his outstretched arm and let him lead me downstairs.

His words had been relayed jokingly, of course, but there was a bit of truth to them, and I didn’t want to think about it. Luckily, the free-flowing beer and conversation and music and dancing kept me occupied for most of the night. I truly, deeply enjoyed that night. It was the first time in my college years that I’d ever let down my hair and let instinct lead me. I wanted to chat with that girl because her makeup was perfect and she looked nice? I did. I wanted to ditch Bucky and dance with Peggy for a few songs? I did. I wanted to relax on the couch and smile at the cute couples falling in love on the dance floor? I did. It was all up to me, and more than the beer or the atmosphere the freedom was intoxicating.

Of course, there was one thing that was more intoxicating than my newfound liberation, and that was Bucky. He stayed by my side the entire night unless I dismissed him, and introduced me to his brothers and their guests time and time again, so much he must’ve gotten sick of it, but he never complained once. He nursed a beer, but kept his wits well about him. He’d oblige my wishes for a dance, and equally those for water or fresh air. He was attentive, but not overbearing. Not at all like he was on campus, where he seemed to try to watch me every second of every day. It makes sense, those were his brothers in that house, people he knew and trusted. They’d never hurt me. 

And true to form, they never did. Nobody laid so much as a finger on me without my permission, and I was blown away by the respect they showed, especially for someone who was deeply connected with the man threatening their way of life. Not a single joke about who my father was crossed my ears.

By the time three in the morning rolled around, I found myself on a couch curled up next to Bucky, listening halfheartedly as he chatted with some of the pledges. A lull popped up in the conversation, and at the sound of my yawn Bucky dismissed the boys and turned his attention to me. “You want to get some sleep?”

I nodded sleepily, eyes half-closed. “Can I just sleep here? It’s so comfortable.” With that, I snuggled deeper into the couch, letting my eyes slide shut.

“No, you actually can’t. You won’t want to be here tomorrow morning when those guys wake up.” I popped one eye open to look at the few brothers passed out in various states of disarray on various areas of the floor or pieces of furniture. One I’d met earlier named Slew was draped across the bar like a sloth. Bucky had a point.

“If you want, you can sleep upstairs. With me. Just so you don’t have to walk home.”

That immediately sent off warning signs in my mind, and I sat up, fighting the exhaustion. “It’s okay. I’ll just head home.”

He sighed. “Look, it’s not like that doll. I swear I won’t touch you. I’ll even take the couch if you want me to.”

I turned to gauge his seriousness. His face was set. “Really?”

He crossed his fingers over his heart. “Swear. Please, I really don’t want to have to walk you all the way back to your dorm. It’s late, not to mention freezing out.”

I nodded. I trusted him, and I’d been here all night. What was a little bit more going to hurt? “Carry me?” I asked, hopeful eyes glancing up at Bucky as he rose from the couch.

He mocked an annoyed sigh. “Fineee.” I chuckled as he swept me up into his arms and headed upstairs. We made our way back to his room, and he set me down gingerly on the queen bed before heading back to the closet. 

I was surprised when a t-shirt was thrown at me from over his shoulder. “That’ll be more comfortable than that toga, that’s for damn sure.”

I rose from the bed slowly. “Don’t look.”

His shoulders shook as he laughed. “Fine. Then you don’t look at me, because I’m changing too.”

“Agreed.” I turned to face the wall and stripped off the toga as quickly as I could, throwing the t-shirt on. I’d been wearing shorts under the sheet, so that wasn’t a big deal. When he gave the all clear, I turned back around, eyes going wide as I realized he was only wearing a pair of boxers.

My fingers immediately clapped down over my eyes. “I thought you said it was all clear!”

“It is. This is what I sleep in, sweetheart.” When I refused to peek, he tried again. “Don’t be like that. Looking won’t hurt you.”

I moved my pinky finger to catch a glimpse, slowly dropping my hand as I savored the look of his body. His muscles were long and lean, and he had a smattering of dark hair across his chest leading down to the waistband of his boxers… which I was trying hard not to think about.

Once he saw that I was looking, he spread his arms out wide. “You really going to make me sleep on the couch? In my own room?”

A huff escaped me before I gave in, patting the other side of the bed. “Fine. No touching, you hear?”

He gave a little salute before flipping off the light and hopping under the covers next to me. Before I could protest, he rolled closer for a second, just to press a light kiss to my cheek. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” I returned, relishing his sweet behavior for a moment before letting myself drift off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

“Are you deaf?!” Kruger shouted at Steve from across the aisle, and I winced in my seat. The day of reckoning had come; my father had finally called for a kangaroo court and asked the Deltas to explain themselves. Steve, Bucky, and Montie were sitting at the front of the room, and before Steve had even really gotten a chance to speak my father had attempted to shut him up and render a verdict.

Steve didn’t react to Kruger, which must’ve taken some restraint knowing their history. If anything, he looked more than ready to throw a few punches. 

The fake coughs of the Deltas caught the attention of Peggy and I at the same time. We turned to glance at them, all suddenly fake coughing to cover up their shouts of, “Blowjob!” I stifled a grin and turned back to the front of the room, where my father had a positively appalled look on his face. 

Steve had been distracted for a second, but like me he turned back to the dean. “It’s not fair!” he protested.

“I’ll tell you what’s fair!” My father shouted back, making me exchange a worried glance with Peggy. This was not going to turn out well.

“Eat me!” The new chorus arose amongst the Deltas, and Steve ran a frustrated hand through his hair as a man Peggy had pointed out to me as Greg banged the gavel in an attempt to settle them down. 

Steve threw himself back in his seat, whispering something hurriedly to Bucky and Montie. The next second, Montie jumped up, whipping around the face the Deltas. “Hey shut up you assholes!”

Steve made a grab for him as soon as he realized what was going to happen, but he’d been too late. A collective laugh ran through the crowd as Montie sat back down, and Greg again tried and failed to restrain the crowd.

“Mr. President, do we have to listen any more of this?” Kruger asked, exasperated.

My father’s mouth moved as if to speak, but Bucky beat him there. “Point of parliamentary procedure. We have the right to speak.” He stood up, and only turned back for a second as Steve whispered something to him. He held a placating hand out to his brother before making his way around to the front of the table. Everyone in the room had fallen silent, evidently not willing to deny the President of the chapter a chance to speak.

“Ladies and gentleman, I’ll be brief.”

There was muttering amongst the board and the crowd. I leaned forward on my seat, a nervous finger over my lips. 

“The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or whether we took a few liberties with our female party guests…” he trailed off and looked right at me, throwing me a wink and causing a gasp to rise from the crowd. My dad hadn’t seen it, but he realized something was up, and he turned red with restrained anger as I turned pink. Peggy elbowed me with a smile.

Bucky turned back to my father and spread his arms accommodatingly. “We did!” A few hoots came from the Delta crowd, and my father’s hands turned to fists. “But you can’t hold the entire fraternity responsible for the actions of a few, perverted individuals.” Greg was shaking now, glaring daggers at my man. Babs, sitting to the side of Greg, hung onto Bucky’s every word. I couldn’t blame her- he was in his element.

“For if you do, then shouldn’t you blame the entire fraternity system?”

Kruger huffed as he slammed his right hand down on the tabletop, seeming to realize where this was going.

“And if the system is guilty, then is this not an indictment of our education system as a whole?” Bucky stared right at my father as he added, “God knows I could think of others, but I’ll leave it at that.”

A whispering ran through the crowd, and I bit my lip in anticipation. Peggy squeezed my hand in reassurance, but when I looked at her she only had eyes for Steve, who was turned in his seat, looking back at her with worry clear on his face.

Bucky turned to Kruger, jabbing a finger in his direction. “I put it to you, Kruger! You’re bound to be an American hero- this is an indictment of our entire American society! Will you stand for that?”

He paused a beat, but Kruger was silent. He’d folded his arms and refused to answer. Bucky gave up on him quickly, moving forward with his speech. 

“Well, regardless of you, I will not! Do what you want to us, Mr. Dean, and Greg, but my fraternity and I will not sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America!”

Another pause for effect, and he turned to face the room. A raise of his arms and a shout of, “Gentlemen!” and the entire Delta frat was on the move. They shot out of their seats and filed out of the room, humming the Star-Spangled Banner as they did so. It was madness. Greg was hammered the table into oblivion, yelling for order. Kruger was shouting at the marching Deltas to stop, going so far as to shake some of them by the shoulders. My dad, though, was the biggest surprise. He made a point to never show anger or agitation, but the Deltas seemed to have really gotten under his skin. He was shouting at them, going red in the face as he threatened them with expulsion and worse. It was a funny sight, if I hadn’t been terrified of what I meant. 

I would’ve been mad at Bucky’s little show, but really how the trial had gone had proven what he’d been telling me for weeks- it didn’t matter what the Deltas did. My father had a vendetta against them, and with the help of the Omegas he’d get his way sooner or later. It made me furious, and I sat there stewing until the last Delta had disappeared. 

There had to be a way to reverse it. I’d fight for Bucky until my father locked me away for good. This was unfair, it was wrong, it went against everything I believed in. As the crowd rose to leave, chatting amongst themselves, I made a vow to myself- I’d stick by the Deltas, no matter what.


	11. Chapter 11

“C’mere, doll,” Bucky called to me across the room. We were hanging out in Peggy’s apartment along with her and Steve and a few of the other deltas. Court had wrapped up a few days ago, and while the university searched for other houses for the deltas Steve and Bucky were staying with Peggy. He would’ve been welcome with me, but dorms had strict policies on boys in the female dorms.

The deltas were doing everything in their power to avoid talking about the obvious. It would’ve been sad had we all not already imbibed several beers. 

“You’re my doll,” I shot back at Bucky, now clutching a water bottle to my chest as I made my way back to my boyfriend.

He gave me that teasing smile and grabbed my waist, pulling me down onto his lap. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be,” he whispered into my ear, sending a shiver through my spine. I loved being with him like this; there was nowhere in the world I felt safer and more loved. Not even my own home, especially now.

“Get a room, lovebirds,” Steve taunted from across the room, tearing my attention away. He had an arm around Peggy’s shoulders and her legs in his lap, the hypocrite. 

I stuck my tongue out at them, eliciting a round of laughter from the room. 

“I’ll give you that one, Stevie. I know you’re just jealous because Joan and I never argue,” Bucky shot at his friend.

The insult would’ve been crass coming from anyone else, but Steve only rolled his eyes as the boys hooted and hollered at the insult. Peggy giggled, cheeks blushing pink.

“To be fair to Peggy,” I began, quick to shoot to my friend’s defense, “I’m dating you, and she’s dating Steve. It’s hard for me to argue with the perfect man.”

More hooting and hollering ensued. Montie gave Steve a good-natured slap on the back.

“Aww, you’re too sweet on me, that’s all. If anyone’s perfect it’s you,” Bucky added, and I smiled as I twisted to give him a quick kiss.

A round of boos traveled through the room, and I blushed hot. Bucky was really into pda, and even if I was getting more and more used to it it still occasionally made me uncomfortable. 

“At least when I’m living with a bunch of strangers I won’t have to watch you two go at it all the time,” Frenchie commented, a tinge of sadness to his voice.

“Aw don’t pretend you don’t like it. Besides, we may not be able to live together, but I’m going to personally make sure we get our sweet revenge. Sweeter than sugar,” Bucky said, his dramatic performing side making an appearance once again as his arms stretched out accommodatingly, leaving me balancing on his lap.

I frowned at his words, Peggy’s expression mirroring my own. We’d discussed this several times, coming to the same conclusion over and over again. The guys had to stay in school, even if it meant sacrificing their pride and bending to the will of both my father and the omegas.

The guys did not see this the same way, evidently, as excited chatter broke out immediately. “What’re you thinking, Buck?” Steve asked after a few moments, causing the group to fall silent as they awaited their leader’s command.

“Something dramatic. Grandiose. A statement akin to Ruby Bridges’ photograph, to the beheading of Marie Antoinette, to the Boston Tea Party! We’ll make them regret ever messing with delta house.” He seemed to sense my concern, and gave me a comforting squeeze as he added, “And we’ll do it in a way that keeps us safe and sound here in this godawful college.”

I relaxed, satisfied with his promise. He could scheme all he wanted; they’d never come up with a plan that my father wouldn’t immediately pin on them. 

They spent the rest of the night brainstorming, planning, and throwing out several bad drafts. Peggy and I even contributed every once in awhile, not that it helped. After a few hours they had nothing, just like I thought.

It was getting late, and Bucky was constantly yawning beneath me when I decided it was time to leave. Peggy and Steve had fallen asleep fifteen minutes ago, wrapped together on the couch, and most of the deltas had left.

My jacket was on the coffee table, and I stood up to grab it. He stood as well, albeit much slower than I had.

I put a hand on his chest, pushing him back onto the couch with a smile.

“It’s late, you should get some sleep. My dorm’s only a five-minute walk and it’s lit the whole way. I’ll be fine.”

He immediately stood again, protesting, but I only shook my head. “C’mon, it’s not a big deal. You have an exam tomorrow,” I reminded him, wrapping my scarf around my neck.

“I’d feel a lot better if I just went with you, doll,” he begged, a pitiful look on his face. 

“And I’d feel a lot better if I knew you were finally getting some rest. The booze will help you sleep, and I know you’ve been having a hard time with it the past few days.”

He was silent, looking at the floor as he considered this. He’d confessed to me that he’d been having anxiety problems the last few days that got worse at night. He’d lie awake for hours, thinking that he’d let his friends down. It was all I could do to assure him it wasn’t his fault.

“Okay. But call me when you get back, alright? You have Peggy’s number, don’t you?”

“Of course. How would I wish you goodnight if I didn’t call?” I teased, pulling my boots on as Bucky led me to the door.

“Goodnight, doll,” he whispered, taking my face in his hands and pressing those intoxicating lips to mine. He tasted like mint with a hint of beer, not altogether unpleasant on him, and he was the first to pull away, leaving me wanting. 

It was a good memory.

Which was lovely until I woke up the next morning.

Because it was the last thing I remembered.


	12. Chapter 12

The first sensation I felt was cold, and the next was nakedness. My eyes opened to reveal my worst nightmare- I was in Bucky’s room, back in the abandoned Delta house. 

The third thing I felt was panic, which only grew stronger when I flipped the bare covers back and saw a red spot on the sheets beneath my bare legs. My eyes flew wide as I stood up, stifling a sob as I barely managed to escape the suffocating gasp of the bedsheets. Frantic eyes fell upon a folded paper on the bedside table. 

I opened it to find Bucky’s handwriting. ‘Morning, darling. So glad you made it with me last night. I’ll be back soon. xo.’

I dropped the note as if it was poison, clutching at my thumping chest as I tried to keep my breathing under control. A chance look in the mirror behind the bar didn’t help. There were small bruises, like fingertips, on my hips and wrists. The left side of my neck was covered from top to bottom in deep red hickies. 

The sob escaped without my permission as my mind put two and two together. Bucky wasn’t who I thought he was. My father; Kruger; Diller had all been right. I’d been raped last night and I couldn’t even remember it. 

Through tear-blurred eyes I found my clothes and dressed as quickly as I could. Keeping my ensuing panic under control was like fighting a forest fire with a water bottle.

I flew down the stairs, the house eerily cold and silent as I rushed to the foyer. As I rounded the corner from the living room, I nearly slammed into someone. The voice was familiar- Steve. Not ideal, but at least it wasn’t Bucky.

His confused eyes quickly turned concerned as he took in my state. “What the hell? Are you okay?”

“Can’t- I need. Have to let me go; get out; have to go-“ I babbled on and on, taking a cautious step away from Steve as he tried to advance towards me. 

That stopped him cold. “Joan. Tell me what happened,” he said sternly, bending down so he could look me in the eye.

My tear-soaked gaze found the floor easily, confused and angry and scared and wanting to be back in my dorm more than anything else. “I can’t, he, Bucky. You!” I shouted suddenly, realizing Steve was not only my friend but best friends with Bucky. He couldn’t be trusted.

His palm outstretched towards me placatingly, and he looked more and more distressed as he tried again, even as I scooted around the wall away from him and towards the door. “Joan, whatever it is, I’m not going to hurt you. Bucky’s not going to hurt you. Tell me.”

A pained chuckle left my lips. “Steve, Bucky is not who you think he is. Do yourself a favor and ditch him. It’ll do you good in the long run.”

“Joan-“

“I have to go. Don’t follow me.” I headed for the door, shuddering with worry as I stepped out onto the porch. 

“Joan!” He followed, of course, and tried to grab me by the arm.

It was a bad choice. I kicked backwards and screamed, and he let go instantly. I only turned back once I was a safe distance from the house, and the look in his eyes made another sob wrack its way through me. He was confused, hurt. It didn’t matter.

Kruger and Greg appeared in my peripheral vision, certainly brought about by my screaming. “Joan, what happened?” Greg asked, seemingly genuinely confused as he took in my state.

“Take me back to my dorm, please,” I sobbed, placing my hands on his as I looked at him with pleading eyes. 

Greg’s eyes went wide. “Sure, yeah of course. This guy bothering you?”

Kruger moved towards Steve, who bristled from the porch. “No no, not him. Just please take me back,” I begged, tugging on Kruger’s sleeve despite the fact I wanted nothing to do with that creep. Right now he was the better of two evils. 

Fortunately he listened, and trailed behind Greg and I, arm in arm. I felt weak, and that walk was the worst I’ve ever taken. It was a weekday, and students heading to class and back looked me up and down from every angle. Greg seemed truly distressed, casting worried glances at me every few seconds, but as I turned down his every offer of help there wasn’t much he could do besides escort me back.

They left me at my dorm, where I hurriedly showered and returned to my room, putting on my coziest pair of pajamas and hopping into bed.

I felt dirty. The bed felt dirty. My body hurt, and my mind more so. Nothing was sacred, and every noise from outside made me jump. It took me hours to fall into a fitful sleep.


End file.
